Scorch the Skies
by The General Electric
Summary: Past the outer limits of the Rukongi lives an ageless man known only as the Yellow Sage, his name legendary within the Soul Society. But once upon a time he was no more than a child trying to make his way in a world of shinobi,a boy named Uzumaki Naruto.
1. Where it Ends and Where it Begins

**Scorch the Skies**

**A Naruto and Bleach Crossover Story**  
><strong>By The General Electric<strong>

**Naruto is the Property of Kishimoto-Sensei, Bleach is the Property of Tite-Sensei  
>I Own Nothing But the Plot Bunny<strong>

**-/-  
><strong>

**Chapter One  
>Where it Ends, Where it Begins<br>**

-/-

On a mountain, high above the clouds, far beyond the outer limits of the Rukongi, a blonde haired man sat, whistling a jaunty tune as his instant noodles slowly came to the boil.

"Ah ramen, centuries have passed and yet still you remain the food of the gods." Snorting at the pun, he took the noodles of the heat, slurping them down.

Life was good for one Uzumaki Naruto, not that he knew his name anymore. He'd been alone in seclusion for so long it had finally ended up escaping him, much to his annoyance.

Nowadays he was just known as Kiroi, for the colour of his slightly dulled and greying hair.

"Little unoriginal, but in the end what's really in a name?" he laughed to himself.

"_Everything you little bastard_." A voice grumbled from in his head.

"Oh I'm hearing voices now; they say that's the first sign of insanity. Or maybe it's talking to yourself? Either way I'm doing both, so I must be crazy." He nodded sagely.

"_Naruto, stop it."_

"Oh Naruto, is that my name?" the man laughed through a mouthful of noodles. "Good to know I suppose."

"_Well how do you feel about being without even your Shikai, huh? Is that something you would like?"_

"Shikai, shikai… oh right, Shikai." He laughed, the now empty polyester cup burning up into nothing. "Does that mean I'd still have Bankai then?"

_"No Bankai."_

Clicking his tongue, Naruto shook his head. "That would be bad yes?"

_"Assumedly yes."_ The voice returned the intangible smirk apparent in his voice.

"Yeah, but then again it's me, and let's face it I'm awesome."

_"Not really."_

"Screw it, who needs Shikai? Who needs Bankai? I'm the thrice damned Kiroi Sennin, I don't need you." He declared, shooting to his feet, fists clenched by his side. "I'm amazing and fuck everyone else!"

_"Oh no, you aren't going to do that?"_

"Try to withhold my god given right, you crotchety old sword? Well fuck you! No one can withhold anything from me, no one can stop me!" The old man let off with a roar. "Not so long as I bristle, with the power of YOUTH!"

_"God damn it! My meta-physical eyes! They burn!"_

"Yeah, well, serves you right." The man sniffed. "Honestly trying to withhold your releases from me, what are you, some kind of idiot?"

"_Yeah, well at least I'm not senile."_

"Good to know, heaven forbid I have a senile Zanpakuto." The blonde laughed.

"_Ugh, go die in a ditch or something."_

"Love you too, Hikaze no Kitsune."

-/-

**Roughly 3 to 4000 years previous, give or take a decade or two.**

-/-

"FUCKING SNAKE!" A shout echoed around the dense green foliage of Konohagakure's Forest of Death which was currently hosting the bi-yearly Chunnin qualifying exams for the Village's and its allies, Gennin level ninja.

The source of the shout came barrelling through the trees not a second later, clad in a torn orange jacket with a blue bandana wrapped around his head adorned with a metal plate, his village's intricate leaf emblem carved into the metal.

Soon following him was an unbelievable snake, at least 20 feet long and a good 5 thick, the wicked thing came charging at him, fangs beared, as it tried to swallow him whole again, causing Naruto to dodge suddenly to the side, only to trip and find himself slamming into a tree.

"Ugh, I'll be… quiet now Iruka-sensei… really." He slurred, shaking his head slowly to clear the fog.

_"MOVE SHITHEAD!"_

His head snapping up, he came face to face with the snakes gaping maw, ready to clamp down.

Letting out a rather unmanly (he would deny it) squeal, he shot to the side, watching the giant reptile tear through the near 10 feet of tree with ease.

"…That was close."

"_No really? I hadn't noticed."_

Head darting up and shooting side to side, Naruto's eyes scanned the forest looking for the voice's origin. "Who's there? Where are you?"

_"That's not your biggest concern right now."_

"What, that I don't know who's talking to me?" Naruto growled, eyes narrowed. "I think that's a pretty fucking big…"

_"Look, I'm happy for you, you're straping on your big boy pants and all that, really I'm proud."_ The voice interrupted with an unseen sneer. _"But may I say 3 words?"_

"What?" The boy asked somewhat petulantly.

"_Big. Fucking. Snake."_

Eyes wide, Naruto turned towards where he had left the snake, covered in an ass ton of bark and leaves. Only it wasn't, it was staring down at him, head cocked as if it was bemused by Naruto's situation, its tongue flicking in amusement.

"**Talking to yourself, human?"**

"YOU TALK?"

"_IT TALKS?"_

"**Yes, I talk. Also I'm hungry, so if you wouldn't mind…"**

Naruto clenched his fists, teeth almost grinding. "Yes I fucking mind." The boy spat violently.

**"I wasn't asking."**

"_Of course it wasn't._"The voice from earlier groaned. _"Honestly, do you even know how you're going to beat this giant wallet?"_

Dodging another strike from the snake, but being caught by the things tail, Naruto let out a grunt as he slid along the ground. "No, so some help right about now would be useful."

_"Help? You can't even hear me screaming my name? What possible help could I be to you?" _The voice shot back, what sounded like regret dripping off every word.

"Screaming? You aren't screaming, I can hear you fine." The boy let out in confusion as he jumped over the snakes gnashing jaw, bouncing back off of its head and running again.

_"And that's even through all the chaos that this snake is wreaking while trying to down you like a chaser of sake._" The voice came back. _"Every word, every syllable is as clear as day. Do you understand what I'm saying yet?"_

"Understand what?"

_"God damn you are slow; I'm in your head, you idiot!"_ The voice cried.

Stopping stark still, Naruto froze, the snake overshooting him due to his sudden halt. "Kyuubii..?"

"_Fuck that dick, I'm nothing like him… I mean I'm a fox, but that's where the similarities end."_ The voice ended somewhat lamely.

"So if you're not the Kyuubii, then what are you?" The boy asked warily, once again losing his awareness of the giant snake darting towards him.

_"I suppose I'll show you. Might be a little easier." The voice sighed theatrically. "Hold your right hand out on your left hip as if you were drawing a blade." _The voice instructed carefully. _"You might not be able to hear my name, or even materialize me yet, but I reckon we can get away with a sleazy one off shot, more than enough to end this scaly dick at any rate."_

Doing as he was told, Naruto positioned himself. "Now what?"

_"Now pull your arm up and across, as if slashing said blade and listen, closely." _Following through, Naruto was surprised as a torrent of chakra swept through the area, everything pausing, as if frozen in time, the snake's eyes wide in surprise.

"_Wind Stance; Judgement."_

And the chakra drenched clearing burst into chaos, strong winds whipping through the trees, tearing at the branches and slicing through the trees like chopsticks through ramen broth, the snake erupting into a gory mess of blood and flesh before it disappeared in a puff of smoke, which was quickly blown away along with it.

A good 10 seconds passed before the roaring winds died down, shredded leaves, mulched bark and sliced wood falling to the ground and a further 10 before Naruto could muster up anything to say.

"Bwah?"

_"Eloquent." _The voice snorted.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto exclaimed eyes wide and jaw slack. "Was that me?"

_"No."_ The voice interjected quickly. _"But it can be you, it will be you. All you need to do is listen when I tell you my name."_

Shaking his head, Naruto could only come up with one more thing to say. "What are you?"

_"I am a part of you, I am a weapon and a guardian at the same time. Learn my name and how to use me, and you, Uzumaki Naruto, you will be Hokage."_

Naruto could only gape stupidly.

**-/-**

"Kukuku Sasuke-kun." The woman from Kusagakure chuckled twistedly. "For a Genin you definitely have talent, to be expected from an Uchiha I suppose."

Kneeled in the grass, one eye trained on the woman in front of him, the other locked on the bloodied form of Sakura, for the first time since he had stared down his brother the night of the massacre he felt truly helpless.

Even against Zabuza he had not felt like such a child, even as Haku made pincushions out of himself and Naruto, he had never felt truly helpless.

But now, now there was no doubt. "Who…?" he wheezed out, unable to finish question.

"Yes, a marvellous question, Sasuke-kun. Who am I?" the woman laughed. "When you feel this village has no more to give, come and seek me out, and I can give you the power you need to kill your brother, to make him suffer for his crimes."

He collapsed to the side, unable to stay upright anymore, his eyes drooping slowly as his world faded to black.

Only to have everything rush back into clarity as he felt something pierce his shoulder. Eyes snapping open, sharingan spinning madly, Sasuke let out a yell of anguish as the pain startled him into consciousness, the pain radiating out from his shoulder and through every inch of him. He vaguely noticed that it was the woman's teeth piercing his skin through the pain.

"Now, now Sasuke-kun, we can't have you passing out now, not before 've introduced myself." the woman laughed as Sasuke thrashed about in pain, his yells echoing through the forest. "Enjoy the gift Sasuke-kun and remember when you've grown tired of Konoha, come search me out, come find the greatest Sannin, Orochimaru, and I can make all your dreams come true." She finished before disappearing in a swirl of smoke and leaves.

A minute later, Naruto arrived, to find his teammates down and injured, and the strange woman who had set the snake upon him, nowhere to be seen.

**-/-**

**As I said, I had a niggling crossover idea. Whelp, this is it.**

**As if I didn't have enough to do, I have to go and add to it plus there's that Kingdom Hearts epic I have rattling around in my head.**

**I must hate myself or something.**

**Anyway, yeah. Here's this, enjoy, Jordan Out.**


	2. The Bloodied Blossom

**Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. Although, I kind of wish it didn't because he went and ruined the war arc by God Moding the Sharingan, again. Wasn't it enough for it to have unquenchable flames, a 3 day torture genjutsu and super armour? You then felt the need to allow it to evolve into the Rinnegan? Seriously?**

**Remember when the Sharingan had drawbacks? I don't.**

_-/-_

**Chapter Two: The Bloodied Blossom**

_-/-_

_'Oh well if this isn't just fabulous?'_

Frustrated and worried, the last 12 hours had not been very restful for Naruto. His teammates were unconcious, Saqsuke felt like death warmed over, and Sakura was completely out of it, so needless to say his nerves were already frayed beyond belief. Of course he had that strange voice in his head that had attempted to lighten the mood somewhat by making jokes and just trying to keep a conversation up, and he appreciated that because otherwise, he was sure, he'd have been far more paniky than he had been.

So to say the young Genin had had a bad day was somewhat of an understatement, but fate, being a cruel and fickle bitch, decided to drop the Genin team from Otogakure on his head at the worst possible time.

'_It could be worse.' _The voice quipped. _It could have been another snake.'_

_"_What have we here?" The Oto ninnot wrapped head to toe in bandages jeered. "The loud mouth with no sense of stealth, this'll be easier then breathing."

Naruto's fist tightened around the kunai in his grip, no sense of stealth? Who was the guy who broke into the Hokage's office unnoticed? Who had painted the 4 stone Hokage in broad daylight?

_'Impressive, to be true. But I hope your goals are loaftier than that.'_ The voice started up, in a manner similar to how Iruka talked when he was asking a question.

'Shut up voice, I'm thinking.'

It was 3 on one, no back up for miles probably, and he was alone against Genin who were at least 2 or 3 years older than him. He could always even the odds with a Shadow Clone or 20, but they wouldn't have the staying power he would need to get away with both his teammates in tow, no, he needed something sneakier, something unexpected.

Something utterly Naruto.

"It's 3 on 1 brat." The girl crowed cleaning her nails with a Senbon needle. "Just give us the Uchiha and we won't have to break that adorable face of yours."

'They want Sasuke? Just Sasuke? Hmm, okay I could work with that.' Naruto plotted, his grip on the kunai loosening ever so slightly.

"Or we could just break it and be on our way, personally it's what I'd prefer." The unbandaged Genin laughed.

"Well unfortunately for you, the choice isn't yours to make Zaku." The third member of the team spoke up from behind his bandages, deciding to break his silence, stepping ahead of his teammates he looked at Naruto with a sneer, deciding he was worth nothing before he'd even spent time getting to know him.

'_Oh, that wasn't a smart move was it? You really hate the eyes that dismiss you as worthless don't you?'_ Ignoring the voice, for the umpteenth time that day, he tensed himself even more.

"What do you even want with Sasuke anyway?" Eyes darting between all 3 as he asked the question with the obvious answer.

"What, are you? Retarded?" The girl laughed flicking the Senbon she was holding down at his feet, Naruto idley noticed she had nothing on Haku in the speed of her throw. "We're here to kill the little prick, end the Uchiha line once and for all!"

_'Huh, well at least she enjoys what she does... I guess.'_ The voice piped in again, somewhat mellowed by the girls enthusiasm. _'Are we going to hurt them now?'_

Shaking his head Naruto flipped the kunai into his pouch. 'Are you gonna be able to do that wind thingy again?'

_'Er... no.'_

'Then no, we aren't going to do anything. But me? well...' Taking a breath in, letting his body relax he smirked as the Sound Genin took on looks of confusion at his actions.

"You know what? Sasuke's a prick. A big massive prick that the world would be better off without. Do what you want, I'm gonna go take a leak." the blonde drawled, making his way past the surprised Sound Genin, hands in his pockets and a jaunty whistle on his lips, he dissapeared into the shrubbery.

The three Sound Shinobi looked into the spot where Naruto had dissapeared, shocked by his actions. "Did... did that just happen?" The girl spoke up unsure.

"I think it did. I thought Konoha stressed Teamwork above all else?"

"Don't question a miracle Zaku." The second boy spoke up, shaking his head. "The Uchiha's defenseless, lets get this done." his teammates nodding their ascent, they began to make their way towards the hollow, before the faces of both boys were lodged firmly into the undergrowth by a couple of orange streaks.

"On second thought, that comment you slung about me having no sense of stealth pissed me right the hell off, Zaku was it?" Naruto laughed from behind him as his Shadow Clones disappeared, the 2 boys weakly making their way onto their feet, Naruto smirked. "And honestly, my stealth is probably the best of my generation, so, lets try this again. I'm Uzumaki Naruto and it's not 3 on 1, it's 3 on 2. Isn't that right, Prick knuckle?"

The Sound Genin twisted their heads towards the tree, eyes narrowing in anger as a second figure climbed out from the hollow. "Did you have to punch me in the face jackass?" Sasuke Uchiha groaned, rubbing his left eye. "Thats going to bruise."

"Oh I'm sorry Princess, did my clone interrupt your beauty sleep?" Naruto smirked at the Uchiha, spinning a kunai on his finger. "Whatever, turn around and go right on back to sleep if you want. That way I get all the fun"

Sasuke smirked, cricking his neck. "Yeah, that's not going to happen." He opened his eyes, revealing his three tomoe sharingan whirling in excitement. "If nothing else, you'd never let me live it down."

Both boys failed to notice the dull thrum of twisted chakra echoing from within the hollow.

-/-

Sakura Haruno had lived a very sheltered life, the disastor of a mission she and her team had taken to Wave Country had proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. But even so both Kakashi and Sasuke, even Naruto himself, had pulled them through just a little worse for wear, both Zabuza and the mysterious hunter nin that had been working with him had been defeated, although Zabuza's defection had proved confusing, maybe not as much as Naruto's impassioned defense of the dead Hunter, but even that had ended well, for them at least and the lesson she had begun to learn then had flitted away and she had fallen into her old ways.

When Kakashi had announced his nomination for their participation in the upcoming Chunnin Exams she had been unsure. She was certain Sasuke would pass and Naruto would at least put on some sort of momentary impressiveness before he ruined it in a bout of idiocy, but she hadn't been sure if she was ready to take that step.

She figured she would be able to pass, tests were her forte' after all, but she didn't nearly want to take on the level of responsibility that she had read came along with the rank. But Sasuke had seemed so keen, and she would hate to hold him back.

She had regretted that decision so very soon.

The mysterious Grass Nin had made her feel so tiny, so useless, even beyond what Zabuza had managed. She watched as Sasuke, the most composed and skilled ninja their age, was beaten and dismantled like a newborn babe, the ferocious woman tearing him apart with little effort.

And that lesson she had come so close to holding onto back in Wave came rushing back full force as she shakily raised a kunai and found herself smacked into unconciousness my a kick she had never seen coming.

Waking up breifly, she had seen Sasuke thrashing about, a purple mark on his neck throbbing menacingly, a chakra so twisted echoing from it. She hadn't known what she had done, she didn't consciously try to do anything, but all she remembered was wishing she could help him, ease his pain.

**_"You fear being useless."_**

Eyes widening, her body clenched in fear, she tried to work out a scared reply, but found her body would allow no more than a strangled gurgle.

**_"You want to keep him safe, to help him acheive his ambitions. To keep him away from the pain of this world."_** It continued, voice smooth like a snake.

Not bothering to talk, she just let out a tired nod, her eyes locking on to the closed eyes of her teammate.

**_"Well then, that is good."_**

And as a pain unlike anything had crushed her in its grasp, she had to smile as Sasuke-kun relaxed, a look of relief spreading across his sleeping face.

She smiled softly, her eyes slamming shut, her body seized with pain, knowing it would be okay. As long as she wasn't useless.

-/-

"DECAPITATING WIND!" Zaku yelled, aiming a glinting metal arm at Sasuke, before anyone else had even moved, a large burst of pressurized air making its way straight at the boy.

Before the burst had even left the weapon though, both Uchiha and Uzumaki had begun to move and coupled with Zaku's disorientation from being plowed into the ground by Naruto's Clone, the burst missed wildly and Sasuke's fist buried itself straight in his gut.

Letting out a grunt of pain as the younger boys fist made impact, Zaku wasn't given a moment of rest as Sasuke withdrew his fist and hooking his leg onto the back of Zaku's head, plowed him straight back into the dirt.

"Hmph, honestly. I'm an Uchiha, what kind of chance did you think you had?" Sasuke smirked, turning his back on the downed Shinobi.

At least he believed him to be downed. "Uchiha?" The boy snorted, making his way to his feet with a solidness belied the fact that he had just been ground into the dirt twice in the last 5 minutes, before letting loose a cry of 'Decapitating Wind,' hitting the Konoha Genin head on. "You think your name has any worth nowadays? Ha! Your just one mediocre little Genin, your entire clan dead, you are nothing!"

On the other side of the clearing Naruto was engaging both of the other Sound Nin with gratuitous amounts of shadow clones and substitutions whenever a stray fist, kunai, senbon or any combination of the 3 found their way towards the real Naruto.

"Stand still you little prick!" The girl yelled, letting out a flurry of sebon needles that dispelled a good number of Shadow Clones, only to have more show up.

"Whats wrong? I thought you said this was going to be easy?" The clones taunted in stereo, circling and weaving in and out between the two Oto Shinobi.

_'_"Goddamnit Kin, use your genjutsu to get him to stop!" Dosu let off with a roar.

"I can't." She grunted, punting a clone in the face, and flipping backwards onto another, driving it into the ground. "There's too much activity, I won't be able to work it!"

"Fucking useless little bitch." The boy groaned. "Step aside!" Snarling he raised his gauntleted hand, releasing a wave of sound, dispelling all the clones surrounding them.

Naruto gritted his teeth in pain as his eardrums burned in protest and the world started going wavey. He watched as the girl smirked in victory, saying something to her teammate.

Maybe, the world was really, really blurry at that point.

_'Get up you idiot! You will not die here!' _The voice urged from deep in his head. _'I am Hi- - -sune! And you Uzumaki, will not die before you hear my Goddamn_ name!'

Shaking his head slowly as it protested the action, he stopped stock still as tendrils of purple shot out of the tree hollow slamming into, and skewering the Sound girl.

The girl screamed, the bandaged teen let out a sucient 'What the fuck' and all eyes where drawn to the tree, to see Sakura hunched over, a tide off twisted chakra rolling off of her, her eyes focused on Zaku, standing over a bloodied Sasuke.

"Leave your scroll and run." She whispered, a blank look in her eyes.

"...Sakura." The Uchiha whispered softly, drawing her gaze, the blank look dissapearing and being replaced with a soft smile, eyes closed in happiness. "Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry. I was useless, I won't be that person now though. Not anymore."

A laugh echoed around the clearing, drawing Sakura's eyes towards Zaku, his face twisted into sardonic amusement. "You think you can take us pinky? You stupid little cunt, I'll teach you to talk down to your betters!" moving both arms towards her a deranged expression fixed in place.

"SAKURA, MOVE!" Both Sasuke and Naruto screamed as one as the Sound boy charged an insane amount of chakra into his arms, the 2 boys intercepted by both Dosu and a injured and angry Kin.

"TIME TO LEARN YOUR PLACE DOUBLE DECAPITATING WIND!"

The clearing went silent as Zaku finished his decleration, all expecting to see Sakura smeared across the forest floor.

However what they weren't expecting was for the deafening nothingness that followed.

"What... what happened?" Kin asked confused, as Zaku's face took on a look of confusion.

"You seem awfully attached to those arms of yours." Sakura whispered quietly, Sasuke let off a gasp as his Sharingan finally spotted what the girl had done. "In fact, if I were a betting girl I'd say they were you only real means of performing any kind of high level Jutsu from the way you fight." She mulled. Kin let out a gasp as she too figured out what had happened, Naruto and Dosu were both wondering when she had had done what they had guessed she had done.

_'She did something similar to what we did with the snake...'_

'Wait, you're saying she has a sword in her head as well?' Naruto thought back.

_'No, just watch for now.'_ The voice finished.

"You bitch, what have you done?"

For a second, Sakura's face took on a look of revulsion before it reformed into the blank and empty look she had been wearing prior. "I told Sasuke, I wouldn't be useless, I promised myself I would do everything in my power to help him reach his goal." She shook her head. "For what its worth, I am sorry. Ninja Art, Slice of the Blossoms."

With that, her actions became abundantly clear as the purple chakra surrounding Sakura appeared, in a flurry around his arms before they contracted.

Zaku's ear piercing shreiks filled the area as the purple chakra sliced his arms into mince, Sakura flinching with each passing second. "Take him, leave your scroll and leave." She repeated, adressing both Dosu and Kin, who was now immensely glad she had gotten off with just a light gouging.

"Alright. We know when we're beat. Here take it." Dosu replied, chucking their scroll down at Naruto's feet while Kin picked up the now unconscious Zaku.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, as the chakra surrounding her disappeared, and her eyes got a little more cloudy. "Did I do good?"

Swallowing thickly, as she swayed slightly, he nodded. "Yeah. You did."

Closing her eyes she smiled. "Good, that's... good."

And she collapsed to the ground, unconsciousness claiming her.

-/-

Naruto knew that something was wrong when she had first stepped out of that tree, he had seen enough broken smiles, mostly his own in the mirror, to know as much. Even when he watched Sakura destroy Zaku's arms like they were flies under her feet, he knew it was all just a show.

And now as he held her wrist in his arm, her pulse alarmingly low, he knew what he had to do.

"Sasuke... we need to go to the tower."

The Uchiha shook his head. "The scroll those Sound Genin left behind wasn't the one we needed, we can't go yet."

Gritting his teeth and resisting the urge to bean his stubborn teammate into unconciousness, he let out a faint growl. "Lesson Princess, I'm sure you had people bending over backwards to attend to your needs whenever you so much as got a runny nose, but I didn't, and that means unlike you I had to learn a thing or 2 about first aid, which puts me in a position where I am actually qualified to tell you Sakura needs a Doctor now."

"She'll be fine." Sasuke shot back weakly, not believing it himself. "We can afford a day to.."

"We can. She can't." The blonde replied again. "She's barely breathing and I didn't even think somebodies pulse could go this low without them dying."

The Uchiha said nothing, just clenching his fists.

_'Stubborn bastard isn't he?'_

"Sasuke, I get it. You want to be a Chunin, I do to." Naruto started, a little softer. "But even if she wasn't Sakura, even if she was just random attached to our team for the exam, do you really think we'll be promoted if we goddamn let her die?"

"I... You're right." Sasuke ceded. shoulders slacking fists uncleanching. Dropping both scrolls to the ground, he went through a string of handseals, burning the scrolls up in a flash of flame. "You sling her left arm over your shoulders, I have the right." He spoke turning towards Naruto who gave him a nod and a smile.

"Don't think this means I like you." Sasuke warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it Teme."

"I'm doing this for Sakura, we owe her afterall. She kinda pulled our asses out of the fire."

"Oh I know."

"And while I never thought I would utter that sentence ever, and will deny it completely should you tell anyone, I'm not about to let her die with a debt unpaid. It would dishonor the Uchiha name." The raven hair boy finished, as they leaped into the trees, their teammate supported between them.

-/-

**Well, that was... different.**

**So, giving Sakura the Curse Seal, that is NOT what I've done. At no point did I actually mention Sakura stealing the mark after it had already been given to Sasuke, so don't bitch about it, because its not what I've done.**

**What I have done is something you'll have to stick with to see. Also yes, I know there is a distinct lack of Naruto~Zanpakuto bonding and or interaction here, but with the way the pacing is for this chapter it just felt to out of place. I've chucked it in where I felt it could work, but that's not really too common this chapter. Anyway, whatever.**

**Read, Review and Justify my continued dedication to the fandom.**


	3. The Wheel of Fate is Turning

**Scorch the Skies ****Chapter Three  
><strong>**The Wheel of Fate is Turning...**

_Naruto, its affiliates and concepts are all the sole property of Masashi Kisimoto.  
>Also Vomit humour, again. Way to go Kishi. Way to go.<em>

* * *

><p>The tower situated in the Forest of Death wasn't really there for any real purpose. Once upon a time it had been an escape for the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, when the pressure and duties of his office became to much for him to handle. In much the same way his brother, Tobirama, had used it after the death of Hashirama and his succession to the position of Hokage.<p>

However the Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had never enjoyed the atmosphere and presence of the sprawling forest nearly as much as his teachers and predecessors and it had quickly fallen into a state of disrepair.

However, when the first time for Konoha to host the Chunin Exams, about halfway into Sarutobi's tenure as Hokage, realizations had quickly been made all throughout Konoha's higher ups that there was really no better place to not only put potential Chunin through their paces but to also give a massive leg up to their own tenacious little Genin as every village did when they were selected to host the event.

The tower was quickly refurbished and retrofitted with up to 50 rooms each capable of housing 3 people each, an arena for any possible preliminaries that needed to be held in the case of too many participants passing the brutal romp through the Forest of Death.

And of course a medical wing, where the injured could be taken to be healed up or die.

Preferably the former.

* * *

><p>The beeping and whirring of the machines hooked up to his teammate were the only sound in the room, but as far as Sasuke was concerned they may as well have been silent. The only thing he could hear was those words.<p>

_"I won't be weak, not anymore."_

Weak? How had he ever thought the girl weak, with what she had done to those Sound Genin, with an ease that almost defied belief, had been the furthest thing from weak he could possibly imagine.

What had it been, some sort of latent bloodline perhaps?

_'No, no that's crazy. She's from a civilian background, why would she have a bloodline? That's impossible'_ He thought determinedly, all the speeches and assertions of the Uchiha's superiority that his father had given him before he died coming to the forefront of his mind. Only to be cruelly snuffed out by the sounds of the Zaku kids screams as his arms were mulched by wicked purple lances.

_'It is impossible... right?'_

Shaking his head he stared down at the unconscious girl, her muscles slack and still, the sedatives doing their work, and he couldn't help but wonder if everything he knew was a lie.

The clicking of the door reached his ears but he paid it no mind, his mind to caught up in his own thoughts.

"Sasuke?" A warm, rolling voice piped up, breaking from his trance his gaze turned up to find Kakashi standing in the the door. "The Hokage wants to talk with you, ask you about what happened in the forest."

Nodding Sasuke stood up on almost shaky legs, turning to Sakura he muttered. "Be back soon, Sakura." and he followed Kakashi out the door.

* * *

><p><em>She ran.<em>

_It was all she could do, her knees shook and her body ached, but to stop now would mean death and she couldn't, no she wouldn't die._

_**"Come now, my queen. I just want to talk, honest." **that harrowing, unnatural voice crowed. The same voice that had demanded she stand up and fight, prove herself strong to Sasuke. The same voice that had dragged her into this endless forest of trees, all of them sakura trees, her namesake. The same voice that had struck out and tried to kill her the second she had gotten here._

_**"It'll only hurt for a second."** It cried again, a tendril of purple carving up the ground and uprooting at least 4 more trees, the shockwave from the strike knocking her off of her feet and against yet another one of the trees._

_Groaning, almost crying in pain, her eyes opened and she sucked in a breath. Her face, it was staring at her with her own face. No, it wasn't her face, not as she knew it. The vicious pulsing black marks, the deranged smile that stretched unbelievably wide and the vicious, insane yellow eyes, gazing at her with unfathomable rage and digust from behind dirty matted hair dyed purple._

**_"Come_ _on, Sa-ku-ra. Lets be friends."_**

_And she screamed._

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_One of your teammates is unconscious after clawing off of the precipice of the Shinigami's grasp. The other is having an existential crisis. What about you Mr Uzumaki. Just what is wrong with you?"_

Naruto snorted at the voice's question, the wind blowing across the top of the trees almost wrapping itself around him in some sort of weird, comforting hug from nature itself.

Strangely enough, it seemed to work.

"What isn't wrong with me? My teammates are all messed up, Sakura possibly forever, I just got my ass handed to me by a guy with a bandage fetish and I'm hearing voices in my head." Naruto moaned his hand collapsing into hands. "Oh and lets not forget the big goddamn fox demon sealed in my gut, but apart from that, I'm completely fine." he paused for a second, brow knitting in confusion. "Also what the hell does existential mean?"

"It means your teammate is struggling and questioning his entire purpose in life Naruto."

"Well... fuck." was the reply. "Want a seat Gramps, plenty of room over here on the ledge."

The Third Hokage just chuckled. "I am afraid I must decline. These old bones of mine, I fear that once I sit down, I ay not get back up." Naruto just laughed, scratching his head.

"How long you been standing there Old Man?"

"I believe I came in at 'voices in your head.' But we'll get to that I'm sure." The Old Shinobi said in a tone that promised such.

"Yeah, I figured."

The Hokage smiled as the two fell into a comfortable silence, their eyes focused on the horizon.

"Hey Gramps?"

"Yes Naruto?"

"You wanna talk about that voice in my head now?"

Sarutobi looked down at the boy with a critical gaze. Naruto was nervous, unsure. The last time he'd seen this Naruto, he had just learnt of the Demon sealed within him and the betrayal of a trusted teacher. Not that Naruto knew that, he had been observing through his Crystal Ball after all. The last time Naruto had willingly let this side of himself show to the wizened Shinobi... Sarutobi couldn't even remember.

"I have to go preside over the prelimanaries shortly, so we will discuss it in length later." Naruto nodded at that and Sarutobi was proud to see that Naruto wouldn't interrupt the flow of conversation just to ask what he had meant by preliminaries. "But for now I'll ask you this, is the voice you are hearing the Demon's?"

Opening his mouth, Naruto went to answer before stopping. Face scrunched in thought, he started and stopped a few times before finally answering. "I don't know, Hokage-sama."

Formality. That was a new one, Sarutobi wasn't quite sure if he liked such a formal address from Naruto of all people. But now wasn't the time.

"It said that it wasn't, but its already said its a fox too." Sarutobi nodded seeing the problem. Just because it had denied being the great Nine Tailed Demon Lord, didn't necessarily mean it wasn't one of the foxes machinations. "I have a way to know for sure..."

"You don't sound to confident there Naruto."

"Gramps." Ah, that was much better than Hokage-sama. "Have you ever heard the term Zanpaku-to?"

Sarutobi took on a thoughtful look, something stirring at the corner of his more than substantial knowledge base. "I am unsure Naruto, it is possible but if so I can not recall."

"Could you... I mean I know you're Hokage and all. But could you maybe look into it for me?" Sarutobi stared at Naruto carefully. Naruto was right, he was Hokage. As such not only did he have an unenviable workload but every move and action he made would be scrutinized by those who believed him to be nothing more than a thrall to the Fox locked within is Blonde grandson, (because even if they weren't related by blood, there was no other word to quantify his relationship with Naruto) looking for any excuse to see him outed from his position, or at least bring every move he made in relation to Naruto into question.

But, this. Naruto had a lead, a lead that could prove whether or not the voice he had claimed to hear was the fox or not. And all he would have to do was look up a single word.

With a smile, he removed his red and white hat, a rather large diamond shaped piece and a symbol of his office, and placed it carefully onto the boy's head. "Gramps?"

"It looks good on you Naruto, I'm sure you'll make an excellent Hokage someday, especially if what Sasuke-kun has reported to me is even halfway true." The old man said, the pride in his voice almost tangible. "That will be the hat you wear when you are sworn into my office Naruto. That will be the hat you wear as you laugh and love and bleed and cry for this Village Naruto. That hat is yours because even with the way you have grown up, even with the scorn you face everyday, you still love Konoha unconditionally and without reserve."

Turning away, Sarutobi walked towards the stairwell leading to the tower's interior a small smile on his face. "I will tell you if I find anything, Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled as Sarutobi stepped through the tower's threshhold before blinking. "Ah, Gramps, you forgot your hat!"

Turning at Naruto's cry, Sarutobi smiled widely. "Keep it. It looks better on you anyway."

And in the wide, almost unreal, tear stained smile was all the justification he needed to do everything in his power to make Naruto's dreams come true.

* * *

><p>"Welcomes and congratulations are in order. You 18 young Genin have all passed the second stage of the Chunnin exams and advanced to the third round. You should all feel very proud." The voice of the Third Hokage boomed across the arena, elliciting proud smiles from the Master's of the advancing Genin and self assured, superior smirks from said Genin.<p>

However,one figure standing alone on a balcony overlooking the arena snarled.

He wasn't here, the Uchiha had failed to advance to the second round. Had he completely underestimated the young Uchiha's ability? No. No that couldn't be it. He had tested the boy himself and while he hadn't been anywhere near the level Itachi had been at that age, Sasuke was still far superior to most at that age. he had proven that himself.

Snarling once more, the man disappeared in a flash of smoke, intent on finding out just why the only interesting specimen in the whole lineup of Genin was nowhere to be seen.

What he didn't realize, was that this brief, almost miniscule, use of his chakra had alerted his first and only Master, Sarutobi's eyes body tensing in recognition as Hayate proceeded to inform the collected Genin of the rules surrounding the imminent preliminary round.

It seemed Sasuke had been right. Orochimaru, had returned to Konoha.

* * *

><p>Ah the smell of the Konoha Hot Springs just couldn't be beaten.<p>

He didn't know whether or not it was because the quality was just better here or if it was the result of the homesickness that came with being on the road for the majority of the year. Ah well, either way it was still glorious.

Letting out a smile at the sound of voices coming from the woman's baths on the other side of the oak fence that marked the gender line. Elbows bouncing in joy, long white hair trailing behind hi as he leaped over to a little, almost unnoticable hole in the wall he had carved out what seemed like a lifetime ago, he flipped open a small notebook and got to writing. Time to maintain his public persona.

Not that he had any kind of problem with that. He really didn't. Jiraiya did so love his work sometimes.

* * *

><p>"Lady Tsunade, are you sure about this?"<p>

No, no she really wasn't the busty blonde mused. For a long time, no even now, the village embodied all of the loss and despair that had wracked at her life and her mind for the last 15 years.

Holding her lover in her arms, unable to save him as his life drained out agonizingly slowly. Walking into the makeshift medical tent and being greeted by her brothers burnt and battered body.

Orochimaru's betrayal and the dissolution of her team, of her family.

No she wasn't sure. Konoha was something that took and took and never gave and yet here she was, for no real reason that she could think of either. She had just woken up 3 days ago and felt like she should be here, in Konoha.

And she didn't know why.

"Come on Shizune, before I change my mind." She growled taking a swig of sake from a bottle in her hand and stepping into Konoha, willingly and of her own free will, for the first time in 15, Shizune and their pet pig Ton-ton trailing at her heels.

She did so hate her life sometimes.

* * *

><p><strong>And we've got chapter 3, finally. Gawd.<strong>

**So what did you think? I know there is a distinct lack of Zanpaku-to bonding but I need to build up the world first and am not quite sure if I can let that happen without complete reserve when Naruto has voices in his head when he knows he also plays house to the second most powerful Demon in existence.**

**No, that isn't an inner hollow, but its something similar, and I am going somewhere with it so don't worry.**

** I'm well aware this chapter isn't anywhere near as long as 2 was (around 1000 words less) but there's also alot less happening here and each scene could have made the perfect chapter end and I wouldn't have been disappointed with it. Except for Tsunade's scene. I felt unsatisfied with that and chances are I'll come back and rewrite it at one point.**

**Also cookie to the person who can spot the reference in the chapter title.**

**Anyway, read and review. I live off of that shit.**


	4. Belief

**Scorch the Skies**  
><strong> Chapter 4 Belief<strong>

_Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.  
>Honestly, do you think I'd be here writing Fanfiction if I owned either?<em>

* * *

><p><em>The brown dirt was caked by the pure heat that was thrashing about, arid winds battering against raging fires, bodies scattered across the battle field burning to ash.<em>

_Ringing out from the middle of the hellish field was the sound of steel against steel, as two figures danced around each other, more and more fire surging forth with every clash of their swords, apparently unaffected or uncaring of the ungodly heat._

_At some sort of unspoken agreement, both figures leapt away, their grips shifting and a stifling force of power snuffed out the flames, before an explosion of pure power bought the inferno back to life within a second as they both yelled out an indistinguishable word.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Naruto made his way through the winding corridors of the tower in a small trance, each step an odd mix of a stumble mixed with a crawl, his feet dragging the whole way, his arms hugging the hat the Hokage had given to him almost reverently.<p>

The Third had always listened to and affirmed Naruto's boating of becoming Hokage, to taking the hat off of the old man's senile, liver-spotted head, but for him to actual affirm that goal without Naruto bringing it up, for the Third to actually place the Hat on his head himself.

It was massive.

_'He always believed in you, this is nothing new.'_

Naruto shook his head at the voice's unwanted commentary. He knew that this was nothing new, it was something that the Hokage did all the time. That was true. But if the voice, if the Zanpaku-to was actually a part of him, it should understand the reaction.

'_He's worried something will happen to him and soon. Good enough for you?'_

Swallowing heavily, Naruto nodded. His Grandpa had seemed so sad during their talk, almost as if there would be little to no more conversations between the two of them.

"Almost like, he was saying goodbye." Naruto mumbled out softly, a stray tear slipping out of his eye while his hands grasped at the edges of the hat fiercely.

"Like hell Old Man." He whispered, slapping the hat onto his head, his steps quickening as he made his way back to the medical bay where he knew his team was assembled.

* * *

><p>"Hn, welcome back idiot" Sasuke drawled as his blonde teammate stepped through the medical bay doors, his eyes only flicking up momentarily in a cursory greeting, only for them to snap right back up as they focused in on the boy's head. Even Kakashi, sat in the corner out of view, had to take a moment as his single uncovered eye snapped to the red and white hat on his students head.<p>

"Naruto."

"Yeah Kakashi?"

"Did you steal the Hokage's hat?"

"No."

"Okay, just checking." And in an instant the grey haired man's nose was once more buried in a little orange book he carried on him at all times. "Carry on."

"So glad to have your permission."

"Glad to give it."

Sasuke's eyes just blinked. "Why do you have the Hokage's hat?"

"He gave it to me." The blonde chirped with a smile that spread to the other concious occupants of the room. "How's she doing."

"No difference, but I was talking to Dr. Yakushi. She's out of the woods and its almost guaranteed that she can only get better from here." Kakashi pitched in again, the Doctor having made a room call while Naruto had been out apparently blackmailing a hat out of an Old Man. _'Ooo I'll have to remember that one.'_

"That's good." And with that note, a comfortable silence descended on the room.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Hmph, to think he would finally hear you. Close call for you, little spirit.<strong>" A deep booming voice echoed through the darkness, a single red eye bathing the pitch in a malevolent red glow, a single figure illuminated by it. "**Although, maybe not such a bad turn of events after all.**"

The small figure twitched, its head swivelling to stare into the vicious red eye. "One might think you'd be disappointed, my Lord." It muttered confused. "My release means your permanent imprisonment."

The larger figure let out a booming chuckle. "**You haven't figured it out yet, truly you are a part of him. Both stupid beyond belief.**"

The smaller figure let out a low growl, its reddish brown fur rustling in a non-existent breeze. "You don't get to insult him. You haven't earned that right _Fox._"

"**You spit that word as if its an insult. My oh my, your razor wit does burn my little Kit.**"

Pulling itself up to its feet, the smaller figure padded away, eyes hard.

"**Yes. You will soon see my ward and so too shall your Lord, Hikaze no Kitsune.**"

* * *

><p><em>These streets were supposed to be safe. The warm streets of Konohagakure no Sato where there was always a smile waiting for you around the next corner. Where nothing horrible happened, where children could play without a care in the world. That was Konoha.<em>

_Not this twisted representation she had been thrown into, this mockery of her village._

_**"Do you still not get it, Sa-ku-ra?" **That terrible sing song voice echoed again, sending shivers up her spine as more and more tendrils tore into the streets and toppled buildings in her wake. "**It's a metaphor."**_

_'For what?' She wanted to scream, but her throat wouldn't work. The fear keeping everything shut down. Everything but her legs as she kept running, deeper and deeper into the heart of the village as more and more of it fell down around her._

_**"You can keep running little girl, but that will do nothing in the end." **That horrible voice spoke into her ear, powerful arms wrapping around her, the stink of blood and decay assaulting her nose as that twisted reflection embraced her in a tender hug, freezing Sakura in her tracks. **"At the end of the day, unless you can figure out the metaphor and figure out how to beat the answer, well... We want to leave that a mystery me thinks." **It laughed, arms squeezing tighter as its head came down to rest against her shoulder. **"You're smart, at least you tend to be when you aren't scared out of your mind. I think you can figure it out, I want you to figure it out. But you're too frightened, too primal right now to think reasonably. So, we need to give you some incentive."** It released her, almost flowing around her to come face to face once more, the twisted marks pulsing viciously, as the reflection tweaked her chin with a soft smile. **"If you don't figure out the answer and beat it before this village completely rots, you will be responsible for the deaths of your teammates."**_

_"What...?" The question actually came out this time, her eyes wide as she looked into those yellow eyes._

_**"You heard me."**_

_And like that, the reflection snaked away, twisting across buildings in an unnatural movement, its voice echoing and distant once more. **"Once you've figured it out, you can find us at the center of the village. See you soon, o' friend all mine.**_

* * *

><p>From his little seat in the corner, Kakashi couldn't help look upon his team with pride and, however unfair it might be to his teammates, Sasuke especially.<p>

It wasn't as if he wasn't proud of Naruto or Sakura, god knows he'd always been proud of that hyperactive bundle of yellow and orange and Sakura had seemingly come a massive way at some point in the last 5 days, but it seemed that Sasuke had finally taken the one value Kakashi had taught and been trying to drill into the head's of his team right from first day they had been put together as Team 7.

To abandon the mission is akin to treason. To abandon your teammates is worse than treason.

He had been worried that Sasuke would never learn, or more likely accept, that statement as truth, he was even sure if he had revealed the origin of his personal mantra, Sasuke would refuse to accept that an Uchiha could possibly stoop to abandon a mission to offer aid to those of a lower station.

But somehow, something had rattled the boy's inborn superiority complex (Which he believed was the _true _Uchiha bloodline) and made him suck humility and surrender his chance at promotion to save the life of his teammate.

He had his money on Naruto giving some sort of speech, as the blonde was want to doing. Not that he really condemned that, but the boy had an unfortunate habit of giving speeches of forgiveness and redemption to enemies just as much as he did allies.

And Sakura. Oh sweet little naïve Sakura. From what he could drag out from behind the iron curtain of Sasuke's self depreciative angst, Sakura had saved both his boy's lives with some sort of latent bloodline, at least that's the way the little Uchiha had described it and by his description, Kakashi wasn't sure just how much he could doubt that, the technique that had reduced a Genin's arms to no more than mush was terrifying and uncomfortably close to demonic, and considering just who he had on his team that would be worrying if that little tidbit became public knowledge.

No doubt there would be blood. Or at least cries for it

Shaking his head Kakashi returned to his book, plans made weeks earlier thrown away into the wind, new ones taking shape and forming, a spark of something akin to shame lighting itself up in the man's gut as he reconsidered the plans and ideas that had assumed failure on all but one of his students and just how badly he had assumed of the lone female of Team 7.

* * *

><p><strong>Hmmm, where to go from here?<strong>

**Don't worry, that doesn't mean story abandonment it just means I need to evaluate and plan, just a little more comprehensively and cohesively as it were. **

**Also, maybe I did inner Hollow Sakura, maybe I'm just relying on that particular trope to shock and awesome you guys later on, am I really that clever? Let's find out.  
><strong>

**Anyways, comments, critiques and reviews are wanted. I'll even take your flames, but I doubt that I'll pay them any real attention**

**Jordan out!**


	5. Old Folks and Foxes

_"Militarizing the afterlife?' a blonde figure roared with an undeniable rage. 'What are you thinking Genryusai?'_

_'What am I thinking?' a young brunette with a cross shaped scar across his forehead. 'I'm thinking that these beasts, these animals that mirror us are a serious threat, something that could end life for all those who call Nirvana home. Why can't you see what I'm doing is a good thing Master?' He pleaded of the blonde._

_'A good thing… I know the sentiment, I know the feeling Little Dragon.' The older man whispered softly, his face etching with years of sorrow and loss. 'But you know what they say about the path to hell…'_

_'We are no longer human, Master. What is dead cannot die again. But we can be tortured, an eternity sitting in the despair of those beast's stomachs. It is something I wish on no one, and my Soul Society and my Shinigami will see that it never happens, to anyone!'_

_'Shinigami… you fancy yourselves Gods?' _

_'What else are our Zanpakutos, if not the power of death blessed unto us?'_

_'Such ego, Little Dragon.' The brunette raised his blade, the pain and sorrow of his Master's disdain etched into every line and scar. 'We are can't be Gods.' Mirroring his student's action; He drew his own sword. _

_'We're barely human as it is.'_

**Scorch the Skies Chapter Five**

_Bleach Belongs to the Kubo. Naruto belongs to the Kishi._  
><em>Yes, they are now referred to with a 'The' before their names. They are that powerful.<em>

-/-

Tsunade sighed, another saucer of sake swirling in front of her eyes. Why was she drinking right now? She didn't even really feel like it or, hell, even want to. But she was anyway. Was it because she felt a sense of obligation to Dan, her deceased fiance and Nawaki, her murdered little brother. That, being back in Konoha she had a duty to wallow in the memory of the two and fixate on their less then clean deaths?

_'But I don't feel that. I never have... Is that why I drink? Because I feel as if I should greive in some manner, but can't?'_

It was a question she asked herself constantly and, the fact that she couldn't answer was confusing. It wasn't as if she had never felt anything for the two, the warmth and elation she had when Dan had given his impassioned speeches, spoke of his hopes and dreams for Konoha and their place in it and beyond it. The safety she had felt whenever he had his arms wrapped tightly around her.

She remembered amusement at her brother's childish enthusiasm, the boys own celebrations when he had earned his place as a Genin of Konoha. The feeling of devotion and protection that burned deep in her chest whenever he was hurt or bullied.

She remembered all of this and yet... the days following each death, both within a month of eachother, and the weeks and months afterwards were nothing more than a deep depressing blank. Had she drunk herself into a stupor? was that why she associated this ritual of drinking herself stupid with being physically in Konoha?

"Well, there's a face I didn't think I'd see in Konoha again." Tilting her head towards the door she closed her eyes and sighed, returning to the saucer in her hand and knocking it back in a practiced motion. "What, its almost as if you don't want me here."

"I don't Jiraiya." She growled out, maybe a little harsher then intended. it wasn't the least bit untrue of course, but maybe not for the reasons Jiraiya had taken, judging by the exagerated look of hurt that spread out across his face. Sighing, she signaled the bar tender for another saucer, which he promptly delivered.

"Leave the bottle kid." Her old teammate spoke, handing over a fistful of cash. That was right, Jiraiya was almost rich enough to buy half of Fire Country. Stupid smut peddler. She was tits high in debt and he just dropped a good couple of hundred like it was pocket change. "Did you come to rub your wealth in my face, or did you actually want something?" She really didn't like that he was here, seeing this side of her. _'Ashamed. Ashamed for him to see me like this, old. Broken.'_ She thought tiredly. _'Weak.'_

"Well, I haven't seen you in almost 6 years Tsunade." He laughed, pouring a saucer for himself with a flourish of his hands. _'He always was a bit of a show off, even when he was nothing more than a dead last loser.'_ "Isn't it only natural that I would want to see my only surviving teammate?" That was interesting.

"Rochi's dead then?" She asked, perking up, if only just a little. Jiraiya's eyes suddenly clouded, as he grabbed the bottle and took a swig.

"I think we're going to need more Sake." He muttered, pulling the jug from his lips. "He isn't dead, no. But whatever that thing is that's running around wearing his face these days, that isn't Roach, it's just some demon wearing his skin like a cheap suit." Another deep pull. "I promise you 'Nade, I'm going to burn that thing and put our teammate's name to rest."

_'But... do we want to?' _A stray thought burned into her brain. _'Afterall, he's doing it for us.'_

With a shake of her head, Tsunade snatched the jug of her old friend and pulled. Where the hell had that come from?

-/-

Staring down at his old teammates, gathered as they were, Orochimaru felt a twinge of... something. A feeling almost forgotten in the last 15 years. Burned and buried within the wake of countless crimes against nature itself, twisting and distorting that which should never be tampered with.

Not that he regretted any of his decisions, he had seen the result of the ideals and compassion his old Teacher preached about. The way Tsunade had just snapped within the span of a month.

No, he didn't want any of that.

"I'm telling you now Orochimaru." Said old Teacher interrupted from behind him. "You make any attempt to strike against them and I will cut you down quicker than you could blink."

"Well now Master, you act as if I make decisions in the same manner as my oaf of a former teammate." He chuckled, his 'S's drawn out and emphasized slightly. "I prefer to attack when I'm holding all of the cards, you know that."

Sarutobi smiled thinly. "Yes, I know it well Orochimaru. But you won't be holding all the cards, not this time."

Clicking his elongated canines, the Snake Sannin returned the smile. "I knew I should have waited until I could drag Sasuke away without any risk." Eyes flashing viciously, he licked his lips. "Such a diamond in the rough, he will be something great."

"But only with your guidance, correct?"

"I make no secret of my Ego Master, I have always believed that I am the one member of the Professor's Genin Team that had the firmest grasp on reality." He boasted with a wide, fanged smile.

"Reality, you?" Sarutobi replied with acidic disbelief. "The way you killed, tortured and mutilated members of my village for your own gain? Or the sheer audacity you showed by acting as if you were entitled to my position by mere proximity?"

"I deserved it! I had the experience, the strength and the ambition!" Orochimaru growled, almost lunging at the aged Hokage. "Minato was a boy, an idealistic fool who got himself killed playing the hero! But... that is neither here nor there." He reigned himself in with a forcible amount of effort, face freezing into stone. "Tell me, why was Sasuke not part of the preliminaries that you held back in my Forest?" It wasn't an untrue statement. While the First Hokage had erected the forests around Konoha with his Mokuton, Orochimaru was the one who had brought the fearsome reputation of the Forest of Death to it's highest potential, the one who had tended to and fought with every last beast within it's depths and had discovered more of it than anyone alive.

"He forfeited his right. To save the teammate you infected with that disease of a mark." Sarutobi smiled as the Snake Sannin's face twisted in abject disbelief. "You will not have him my foolish little Student. He is not like you, he will not cede his humanity as you have. He will not deal with demons and bask in bloody sunsets." _'You know of the Akatsuki Master? Hmph, I'll let you have that.'_

Sighing softly, not letting his confusion show at the mention of someone on Team 7, other than Sasuke bearing his mark. He let his body slacken a little. "I guess I will just need to steal the boy for myself then?" Rhetorical as his feet dissolved to mud, the rest of his body slowly following bit by bit. "Sasuke is not yet mine and you know I'm here, that's fine. It doesn't change the facts. I will attack during the Exam Finals in a months time. I will steal away the Uchiha from under your senile old nose. And I will kill you." Orochimaru declared, now nothing but a pair of yellow eyes and a mouth etched into wet mud. "Give the Idiot and Tsunade my regards."

And like a balloon being popped, the mud clone snapped and collapsed.

-/-

Standing in their usual training grounds next to the Memorial Stone, the males of team 7 had gathered. Sakura had still not awoken from her coma, even a week after the second round of the Chunnin Exams had wrapped up.

Her parents had been hysterical, her mother even looked close to murderous as Naruto had stood with them as the news was relayed. The only reason that nothing had been said or implied was because of the boy himself, stepping forward and handing a Kunai to the woman. "I failed you." He had said "I couldn't protect you daughter and because of that she might never wake up." he had then raised his hands above his head and knelt, head bowed at her feet. "Do what you want."

The kunai had slipped from her hands, clattering to the ground as her face, her innocent naive, civilian face, had flashed through disbelief, non-comprehension and confusion and sticking in a weird mix of all three before she had just spun slowly and stumbled into the Haruno household as her husband looked on with a wry expression. "Never did understand her hatred." He spoke to Naruto. "Always seemed silly to me that something like that _thing_ would do as people accuse." His wording cleaned up and vague due to Sasuke's pressence, who stood confused but, at a look from Kakashi, didn't ask. "From what the Hokage told us, Sakura probably wouldn't even be alive if not for you two." He had finished with a bow, before following his wife into their house.

Naruto was still dressed in his orange jumpsuit, but had now taken to wearing the jacket unzipped revealing a simple black shirt underneath, a

"Well then." Kakashi started, snapping back into the present. "I gotta say, I'm proud of you, all three of you actually."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, the boy had seemed to be in a constant state of confusion and self-depreciation after they had to say goodbye to the bedside vigil at Sakura's bedside after she had been moved to Konoha General at the Second Test's conclusion. "We failed... we won't become Chunnin."

"Honestly Sasuke." Kakashi began, not showing the anxiety he was feeling. "I never expected you to pass in the first place." Sasuke balked, his eyes bleeding red in abject betrayal while Naruto twitched slightly but didn't react beyond that. _'Interesting, did he figure that out?'_

"What do you mean you didn't expect us to pass?" Sasuke asked dangerously, Sharingan spinning dangerously. _'Time to act like I should have at the start.'_

"Turn those eyes off Sasuke before I make you turn them off." He didn't change his tone, he didn't make any threatening moves, he just looked at the boy hard, solitary grey eye looking down onto the startled red and black patterned pair with an almost vicious antipathy. _'He needs to learn that those eyes are a tool. That they don't make him perfect.'  
><em>And, sure enough, the red slowly bleed away, ivory dominating the boy's face once more. "As for why I didn't expect you to win, well Naruto seems to know why."

Sasuke spun, eyes accusatory, but eyes not burning with the Sharingan. "It isn't like I figured out on my own... someone told me." He flinched as if something had just been said to discomfort him. _'But nothing was said... could it be the fox?'_

"Well then, care to tell us what you were told?"

"Exact words?" Naruto asked with a grimace.

"If you could." Kakashi asked, chuckling on the inside at his students reluctance.

"Well, his exact words were..." He started trailing off with a blush, before starting again. "What kind of idiot would trust you in a position of power?'"

Kakashi had to hold back a snort of laughter, Sasuke had no such compunction.

"Eh? Don't you laugh at me bastard!" Naruto yelled, pointing his fist at the Uchiha. "He also said, and I quote, "And the Uchiha? Please, as if they could get a squad anywhere near his ego long enough for him to actually give a coherent order!'"

"What was that?" Sasuke demanded in an almost childish demand. "Like you even know what coherent means!"

"Of course I know what it means!" Naruto flushed, turning away.

"Well then?"

"It means to make sense!" Naruto declared in victory, watching as the young clan survivor's eyes sprung apart with genuine surprise.

"Come on now boys." Kakashi interrupted. "Get your egos in check, we have work to do."

They both laughed. Well Sasuke snorted and Naruto laughed. _'I knew I was bad, but was I really that bad.'_

"I'm serious. You two aren't the only ones who learned something from Sakura's current state." That sobered them up. He hated using Sakura like that, but he really needed them to pay attention_. "_Entering you into those exams was egotistical to the point of ignorant on my part, you simply were not ready, even for a deep end run." Shaking his head, he took a stance. "Come at me boys, with everything you have. If you don't I will put you in that hospital right next to Sakura."

-/-

"Tell me Jiraiya, will I be blessed with a visit from Tsunade as well, or just yourself?" Sarutobi asked over his shoulder as the clacking of wood on metal announced his students presence.

"Heh, never could sneak up on you Master. How you been Old Man?" The white haired toad sage asked with a chuckle as he fell into the plush chair opposite his teacher.

"You aren't exactly so young yourself anymore Jiraiya."

"Heh, the gallant Jiraiya dismisses even the marches of time. The ladies swoon over my form of eternal youth!"

"Ugh." The old Hokage groaned. "You know Might Gai practically worships that phrase."

"Gai… Gai… Oh! Right, black bowl cut, real into Taijutsu, heard he made a name for himself as the 'Beautiful Green Beast' or something to that effect."

"My god, that name stuck?"

"What? It isn't quite a 'Yellow Flash' or a 'Sannin' but it isn't exactly bad either."

"It is also a self-given moniker and until you see him or his… student, you won't quite understand the terrifying connotations."

"Man… it has been a while hasn't it?"

"Almost as long as Tsunade's absence." Sarutobi chided softly. "It does an old man some degree of hurt to be neglected by all three of his students."

"I couldn't just let him run around unchecked and unwatched, you know that."

"And of course your reason for being in Konoha would be him. Can't you visit for pleasure just once?"

"Master…"

"Oh; very well." Sarutobi sighed. "But do make it quick, I have some research to get to."

-/-

Naruto grit his teeth as he skipped off of the hard dirt for the umpteenth time within the hour. "Is that all you have Naruto?" Kakashi taunted as he batted away a grand fireball of Sasuke's with the back of his hand. "I honestly expected more from the future Hokage." And Sasuke hit a tree.

"Oh...you want better Kakashi?" _'Hey... sword, fox thing!' _"I'll show you better!"

_'Yes oh eloquent wielder who has yet to manifest me?' _The fox drawled. '_How may I help you?'_

_'The hell does manife... nevermind that! You want to help me, you want me to hear your name? Then listen up!' _Naruto roared in his head, feet sliding into the same stance the spirit had directed him into back in the Forest of Death. _'I am Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage, and if anything you say is true you will get out here and HELP ME FIGHT DAMNIT!' _He swung his hand, kicking up wind. "You want better Master? Bring it on!" his hand closed, fingers sliding closed around a ornate hilt, he launched.

The fox bowed its head, a small smile playing on its lips. 'Good_ work... Naruto.'  
><em>

'Yes, good work to the monkey.' The Kyubii chuckled from behind its bars. **'Now he has a little fox bowing and scraping at his feet, one who if we're being honest, wouldn't last a second against myself.'**

_'Is there a point to your mockery Lord of the Ninth?' _The sword spirit sighed in exasperation.

'**_Point? No, no point. There is never any real point to what I do or, hadn't you heard?'_ **The giant demon chuckled. **_'I'm just a mindless force of chaos and destruction, where is the point in that?'_**

_'As people around us say, but I've spent 13 years submerged in water and your shadow. I know otherwise.' _The spirit growled. _'And you don't quite understand me or what I can do, so don't think you have us outgunned my Lord. When the time comes where Naruto is forced to confront you, he will be ready and you shall not emerged victorious.'_

_**'Or, alternatively, you ignore everything I've told you, you ignore just who and what I am and you lead the third Uzumaki to jail me to his untimely death, much like those before him.'**_

_**'**That will never happen.' The Zanpakuto denied vehemently, with just a trace of doubt.  
><em>

**'We will see, little blade.'**

-/-

**This was long overdue but, here it is. Chapter 5 in all of it's character piece-y glory with, wouldn't you know it, a physical medium for Naruto's Zanpakuto - Amazing!**

**Read, review and Drop your comments, I crave them as always.  
><strong>


	6. On the Precipice

**Scorch the Skies Chapter Six  
><strong>**Chuunin's One and All Part I**

_Naruto and Bleach belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Kubo Tite respectively. I'm making nothing._  
><em>Masashi's constant 'The Uchiha Did it!' Gambit is Much, Much worse than Kubo just Kuboing, yet somehow Naruto still has its anime.<em>  
><em>I've said it once, I'll say it again. Something is very, very wrong with that.<em>

* * *

><p>The girl sat huddled under a pile of shattered wood, splinters digging their way into her skin. How long had it been now, how long since she had been locked away in this haunting landscape, hunted like a wild animal until she forgot things, until the sky turned black and until she forgot colour itself.<p>

She winced with nary a moan as a web of scars across her back burnt in warning, she bit her lip and shifted as quietly as possibly.

That thing was here, the hunter.

Sliding back she grabbed a shard of wood, her eyes steely and cold. The girl couldn't remember why she was here, or really why she was doing anything really, the running and the fighting, there was no motivation behind these actions beyond the basest of all human attributes.

Survival.

"Sa-ku-ra..." The thing hissed, it placid white skin glowing almost ethereally against the stark grey of the world. "Its been so long, just face it... this is where you die, locked up in your own body - nothing to do but whimper softly as I tear you apart from the inside out." The girl said nothing, no emotion flashed. The thing could talk all it wanted but the sounds made no sense to her, not like they used to.

Muscles tensing, the Girl dodged a sudden lashing whip as the things arm came soaring towards her back, screaming for her life. Ducking under the extended appendage, she darted forward, the Hunter's eyes glowing in ecstasy. "Well now... how's this for exciting."

Launching the appropriated shard of wood, she was unsurprised as it was dodged and the Hunter's body launched towards her breaking down as it always did, arms becoming nothing more than a mess of pink, the only colour that still existed in this reality.

With a last second duck, the girl dodged under the first appendage that struck out, facing the Hunter's back, her hand emerged from a tattered pouch on her hip, three nails stuck, point first, between her knuckles.  
>With not even a sound, she threw a solid punch at the Hunter's back, burrowing the steel deep into it's skin, eliciting a scream of rage and a rush of pink erupting around the Girl, shredding her bloody.<p>

-/-

Naruto's bounced back as his sword was repelled by a Kunai for the umpteenth time in an echo of steel and a burst of wind. Spinning to avoid the inevitable counterattack, the boy formed a single Clone to give him time to retreat.

"Denied." Slamming into his Master, Naruto sighed. Of course Sharingan Kakashi was to good for something that simple so, it was good that in that second, Sasuke Uchiha decided to let himself known with a web a wire exploding out of the ground and wrapping itself around their Master. "Lighting Style, Wire Works." A current burst across the steel wire, electrocuting the Grey Haired man with deadly voltage. "Eat it Hatake." And then the man burst into a torrent of water.

Clapping echoed around the area, the one eyed man applauding from atop the middle of three wooden stumps situated in the middle of the training ground. "Well congratulations my adorable little students, it only took you a month but you finally managed to subdue one of my water clones. You should be proud!" He applauded happily.

"Heh, I guess we're just that awesome, hey Sasuke?" Naruto grinned.

Shaking his head the Uchiha smirked. "We? I must have been seeing that wrong, did I not just bail you out?"

"Wanna say that a little louder there bastard?" the blonde snarled, pointing the short sword at his teammates face.

"Well since you need everything said twice for you to understand anything." Sasuke smirked with an eyebrow quirked, quickly dodging as a half hearted blast of wind came barrelling towards him. "Hmmph, can't even hit a stationary target dobe?"

"I'll show you stationary."

"Children, enough of that." Kakashi smirked as the boys adopted their own little poses. Naruto scratching his head with an abashed smile. Sasuke just crossing his arms straightfaced, with the slightest of smirks. "I'm proud of you two, within a month you have blown all of my expectations out of the window." He shook his head slowly. "And I'm sure Sakura would be just as proud."

Sasuke's eyes turned down, eyes becoming dull, Naruto's smile dropped.

"I'm going to the hospital." Sasuke muttered, walking off somewhat subdued as Naruto and Kakashi watched without a word.

After a moment, Naruto piped up. "Wasn't to clever of you there Master."

"Maybe not, but its the truth and you know it." The man said softly.

"Yeah... But Sasuke doesn't." Sighing, the boy scratched his head. "I'm going after him, chances are he's going to forget to eat... again."

Nodding, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke as Naruto propelled himself forward, wind pushing him slightly faster.

-/-

_'Zanpaku-to is a term that appears in many legends. A weapon of great feats, for all intents and purposes these Zanpaku-to are nothing more than exceptionally powerful chakra blades._

_However, there are few who dismiss this observation and instead claim, as ludicrous as it is, that Zanpaku-to are blades and weapons made manifest from the user's very soul; out of nothing but will. Hence the name Soul Cutter._

_And that isn't even the strangest part. These same people even claim that these Soul Cutters are actually sentient, holding an intelligent personality within the steel._

_Of course, the very idea sounds ludicrous and, maybe even a little insane. And usually I'd be right up there agreeing with all of the naysayers... But I can't, in all good conscience, continue to deny and depose the theory._

_Raijen no Ken won't let me._

_-Tobirama Senju  
>Nidaime Hokage.<em>

_-/-_

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair with a frustrated sigh.

While he hadn't been able to dedicate all of his efforts over the last month into his promise to Naruto, he had done as much as he could to research Zanpaku-to around meeting with Jiraiya and Shikaku Nara, his Jonin Commander, to discuss countermeasures to any moves Orochimaru and Suna could enact as the Chunnin Exams drew to a close.

What he had found were, as his mentor had written in his notes, tales of great legends, powerful chakra weapons that had taken on the name but were dismissed as somewhat delusional.

Even the Second Hokage had been cagey in his notes, skirting around the issue, really only giving that last little tidbit at the end, the fact that somehow, either real or imagined, his Master had been talking with his sword.

"Part of his soul..." Hiruzen frowned. It had always been curious, that after Tobirama Senju's death, Raijin no Ken's abilities didn't even resemble a half of what it had in the hands of Tobirama the Shockwave . He had always chalked it up to the fact that there just wasn't anyone who could match the dead Hokage's skill with the weapon.

But, if in fact his Master hadn't been delusional, the sword becoming a pale shadow of itself as it's wielder's soul, the blade's soul, departed the world of the living made a distinct amount of sense.

The question was, if Zanpaku-to were in fact a reality, did Naruto really hold one or was it all just machinations put into place by the demonic fox locked within the boy's body?

What if it was truly a Zanpaku-to, but derived of the demon's mind and existence rather than the boy's?

Closing his eyes, his hand rubbed at his forehead. There really were to many 'what ifs' at this point. Too many to take any solid action, either to help Naruto bring out his blades full potential or to save him from the demon fox always lurking at the back of the boy's mind.

Glancing at a clock on the desk, he replaced his teacher's notes into the storage scroll they came from, setting it down into his own personal shelf, striding out of the room, sweeping up his hat in a practiced gesture.

It was unfortunate, but the research had to wait. It was time to go talk about Orochimaru once more.

-/-

The morning of the Chunin Exam finals came all to quickly for the residents and visiting dignitaries within the walls of Konohagakure no Sato. Although some welcomed the day's arrival, a red headed boy from the village of Sunagakure seemed especially excited, his chakra churning. Begging to be released.

Others met the day with a nervous come-whatever-may attitude, two siblings, also from Sunagakure, accepting the day with a grim demeanor. Each knowing that today could possibly the most important day of their young lives.

While others... well others just couldn't be bothered dealing with the day at all.

"This is all just such a drag." Shikamaru Nara muttered as he was pushed down the street by a particularly incessent blonde. "Just let me go back to sleep, I really, really don't care about being a chuunin anyway." He begged of his escort.

"Go to hell Shikamaru." Ino Yamanaka almost growled grabbing at his shirt, pulling him almost nose to nose with her. "That entitled little sand bitch destroyed me, humiliated me not only in front of you Choji and Asuma, but in front of my Hokage." Shikimaru flinched in rememberence, if anything Ino had downplayed just how brutal it was, the disapointment that had shown in not only the Hokage's eyes, but in most of the gathered Jonin's would have been almost comical in any other situation.

"I get that Ino." He said softly, laying his hand over hers, her grip slipping. "Really I do, but why should I get your revenge for you?"

Ino started as if slapped. "You can't... I wouldn't... you really think that's what this is about?"

Shikamaru raised a brow. "What else am I supposed to take from you bodily dragging me through Konoha an hour before I actually have to leave for the damn arena?"

She looked away at that. "Alright... I get it. But you have to understand, she didn't just destroy me in that ring, she destroyed Konoha's pride. Our Master's pride." She looked him in the eyes, not a hint of doubt or nervousness in their depths. "I don't want you to do it for me, I want you to do it for Asuma. Restore his pride. That's all."

Sighing, Shikamaru slouched off in the direction of the arena. "Troublesome girl... Now you've made me want to win." Pausing, he threw a snide look over his shoulder. "Why are we friends again?"

Smiling Ino slid up to him, slugging him on the shoulder. "Because our dad's were teammates for years. You're stuck with me by default."

And one long suffering sigh later, the two walked on , amicable silence stretching out between them.

-/-

Inukuza Kiba growled as Neji Hyuga swaggered into the arena. The pompous ass had almost killed Hinata during the preliminary bout, deadly Gentle Fist strikes ravaging the girls Tenketsu and the final blow rupturing her heart.

But Kiba knew, as any good shinobi should, that the exams would be dangerous and all of them would risk injuries and maybe even be hit with something debilitating.

"You're a Shinobi now." His mother had said. "Even on your home turf, in an event like the Chuunin Exams you can still die. People have died. Know the possibility is there, don't delude yourself and you'll be better prepared to piss in the Reaper's eye."

So yes, he knew that injury was possible and he watched as Neji beat Hinata quite easily, almost as easily as the Suna Girl had broken Ino, and he accepted it.

It was the way he had carried himself, the way he had insulted and torn down every bit of Hinata's confidence without a care and then proceeded to actually attempt to kill the girl, his Packmate, after the match had been called all because Hinata had told him something she had always wanted to.

"Cousin... I'm sorry."

Even after everything he had done, she had been the one who apologized. The one begging for forgiveness for the mere act of being born. And Neji had turned towards her face feral, more so than even his mother, Matriarch of the Inukuza clan, could pull off, and launched towards her, a chakra laden finger grazing her breast and sending a shock straight through to her heart.

She had been stabilized and she was up and about again, on a way to a full recovery. Nothing permanent, which had bought a collective sigh of relief among Team 8 when the Doctor's had given them the news.

No, he didn't hate Neji for the mere act of participating in an exam as expected. No, that would be petty. He hated Neji because he had done something that the Inukuza considered fouler than anything else.

He had tried to kill family. And Kiba would not let that stand.

-/-

Naruto flipped into Sakura's hospital room through the open window, landing with a grace most would believe impossible of the academy's on a technicality graduate.

"Back again?" Naruto asked, falling into a chair next to an already present Sasuke he passed the young Uchiha a small box of take out Dango. "Still no change?" Sasuke grunted in acceptance of the food, pulling open the carry out box with a flick of the wrist.

"None." He grunted, placing one of the skewers on the bedside table. Pausing softly as he pulled out one for himself, he took a bite, eyes darting across to his blonde haired teammate. "It's been a month Dobe... What if..."

"Don't." Naruto bit out sharply. "Don't say that, don't even think it. Sakura will be okay, there's no doubt in my mind. Because as soon as it shows up, it means I've given up on her and I won't let that happen."

Sasuke snorted. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Naruto asked confused.

"You know, act like an idiot 99% of the time and then just sort of slice in these rare moments of sincerity, where you actually sound like you know what you're talking about."

"I dunno." the blonde replied, deliberately ignoring the backhanded insult. "It just sort of comes naturally you know?"

Shaking his head, Sasuke sighed. "And you ruined it, way to go Dobe."

"You want some Bastard? Come at me, I'll let Hikaze teach you a thing or two." Naruto growled.

"Hmph, you aren't even worth the time." Sasuke smirked. "I suppose we should probably go check in on the exam, support our fellow shinobi and what not."

"You just want to copy peoples hard won Jutsu."

Rolling his eyes the Uchiha leaped through the window, leaving his teammates behind. "Wait... I was joking. You aren't really going to right Sasuke? Sasuke get your ass back here!" Naruto yelled leaping after him.

Seconds later, the soft ping of a heart monitor sped up.

No one noticed it.

-/-

Sakura. Her name was Sakura Haruno, Kunoichi of Konoha. Member of Team 7 alongside Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha under the tutelage of Kakashi Hatake.

What had happened, the last thing she remembered with any clarity was... the forest. She had saved the boys - her boys - instictually, drawing blood for the first time since she had graduated the Academy and then... then there was a face; her face.

Only wrong dark and twisted.

But she looked around the clearing of Sakura Trees, nothing seemed out of place, nothing was wrong. Her world wasn't collapsing. "Well, look who finally got a hold of herself." A voice chimed in from behind her. Turning she was surprised to see herself, or at least some twisted representation of herself. The same one who had been... "You! You were trying to kill me!" She cried, shifting into a defensive stance.

"Yeah, I did." It admitted. "And look where it got me, dead and fading into nothing." Sakura blinked. Now that she truly took notice, the reflection seemed to be missing its legs and second by second more of it was fading away. "Not the most ideal situation for myself - but then again, it needed to happen."

"What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly, struggling to reconcile the civil figure infront of her with the Nightmare Beast that had been hunting her down with sadistic glee for however long it had been.

"Ah, you're a smart girl. You'll figure it out, don't really have the time to explain it right now." The reflection rolled her head to the right as her arm disappeared. "Looks like this is it for me... Ah well. At least you're alive, and you got that nifty little trick with the blades and everything."

"You mean... what I did in the forest?" Sakura questioned tentatively.

"Yeah, that's it, you should have a basic idea of how to use it, yeah?"

Going to answer negatively, that no she didn't know how or what she had done, but she found that the knowledge was right there, at the forefront of her mind, so she asked another question instead. "Is that really its name?"

"I thought it was fitting. Feel free to change it if you want." The reflection was only a head now, slowly becoming less and less. "You have so much potential Sakura, you Sasuke and even that idiot Naruto." She muttered, one of her eyes fading into the ether. "But you can't do that here, asleep on some hospital bed."

And as the figure faded it whispered two words.

And Sakura obeyed, waking up to find a war raging outside her window.

-/-

**Yes. I did really just put the wheels in motion for a Shikamaru/Ino pairing over one of Shikamaru/Temari because that's a pairing that just sort of baffles me really. I mean, I guess I can see where it comes from, but meh. I just don't see how it would work long term.**

**But then again I don't really focus on romance, just sort of allude to it, so it doesn't really matter I guess.**

**So Sakura's awake, or at least the scene where she wakes up has been established as has the invasion. But we still have a chain of events leading up to this point to cover which may take the next 2 - 3 chapters before we get to the invasion proper.**

**Jeez I'm such a tease.**

**As always read and review, its always nice to hear what the fans and even the haters think.**

**Jordan Out!**


	7. Fang

**Scorch the Skies Chapter** **Seven  
>Fang<br>**

_Both Naruto and Bleach are the intellectual Properties of Masashi Kishimoto and Kubo Tite Respectively_  
><em>Whoever started the trend of calling Tobi as being Obito deserves a medal. Or should at least take up a job in writing<br>fortune cookies or something._

_-/-_

"Wait... I was joking. You aren't really going to right Sasuke? Sasuke get your ass back here!"

Ah, what it was to be young and a Genin. No responsibility. No worries. No betrayal...

Jiraiya shook his head to clear those thoughts. No, it wouldn't do to think negative at this point, not with Orochimaru's promise of invasion looming so close, a threat that would pass within the next few hours.

He still was't happy with the old man's descision to have Jiraiya out here and not in the arena with him and Tsunade, almost like it was their Pre-Sannin days and he was being regulated to dealing with the grunts while Roach and Tsunade stormed the target with the Professor at their side.

_'Damnit. Thought I was over that.'_ In fact he knew he had nothing to be jelous of anymore, Orochimaru betraying them all and Tsunade drowning in sake on a daily basis, Jiraiya knew that he was the good student, the one who had turned out the best

_'Huh, petty today aren't you Jiraiya?'_

Maybe so, but having Hiruzen put his life in the hands of a drunk, and by Gods no matter how much he loved Tsunade that was what she was, with a crippling fear of blood over him in, what would probably end up as a battle against their former teammate just seemed a little senile.

"Don't worry Jiraiya, I will be fine." he had assured with that genile, grandfatherly smile of his. "I have complete faith that Tsunade will see the day through perfectly."

Tsunade, maybe. "But what about you old man?"

-/-

"Stop fidgeting Tsunade." Hiruzen admonished his student. "Honestly, have the years and alcohol stripped away even your simplest etiquette?"

"Well if you're so disappointed in me Teach, why'd you even ask me up here?" She bit back. "I'm sure Jiraiya would be more than happy to take my place, being the good boy he is."

Hiruzen sighed, making to reply but stopping short. "This isn't the time for this. Lord Kazekage, it's been too long." the old man called, rising to his feet, arms wide in greeting, eyes staring past Tsunade and to a veiled man wearing robes similar to himself, only with a blue trim in place of red. "You really should have stopped by my office before hand, I still have that bottle of Red Sands Scotch you gave me last year."

The Kazekage shook his head amusedly as he took Sarutobi's hand in a steel handshake. "As good as that would have been, I have been somewhat rushed back in Suna. You'll have to forgive me and accept my sincere promise of next time Lord Hokage."

Both Kages chuckled amicably as they took their seats, the Kazekage's four guards eyeing Tsunade warily. "Ah yes, you of course have heard of my student Tsunade?" The old man asked with a smile.

"Of course. Lady Tsunade, the stories do not do your beauty justice."

"...Thanks." She almost grunted, reigning it in.

Shaking his head, Sarutobi turned back to his counterpart. "It seems we have quite the talented bunch of youngsters thus year, your children especially have made quite the impact on the examiners."

The Wind shadow straightened in his chair. "I would expect no less from them, as I'm sure you understand. Afterall, your son was quite the talent himself. Made the 12 Guardians did he not?"

He nodded. "Ah well, Asuma was always rather gifted." He changed the subject "But then again don't believe your children have this in the bag, afterall there are still many Konoha Shinobi in this."

The Kazekage gave a murmer of agreement. "Yes. One might say a rather large amount in fact."

"Ha, as if it was any different in Suna the last time it was held there." Saurtobi retorted.

Both Kages chuckled at that and Tsunade just snorted.

_'Idiots, the pair of them.'_

_-/-  
><em>

Sasuke's eyes wandered through the crowd, coming to a stop on the exam finalists.

That could have been him, standing there ready to prove himself to the world, prove himself worthy of the Uchiha name. But he had given it all up, all for the sake of a single civilian raised girl.

It was somewhat sobering, and maybe just a little terrifying, that if he had been forced into the exact same situation before joining Team 7, he would have left Sakura without a second thought, believed that as an Uchiha he was entitled to the chance to compete, regardless of his teammate's condition.

Had he really been that cold?

_'Maybe.'_ A voice, his own voice, echoed through his head. _'But you've changed now. Become a better person with friends... Isn't it better than the solitary existence you locked yourself into for so many years?'_

"Oi, bastard!" Twitching at the volume, he indulged his team mate with a glance as he can screeching in after him. "You weren't serious, were you?"

It took a second for Sasuke to realise just what Naruto was talking about, with a snort, his head swivelled back to the arena floor. "Hmph, most of the finalists are clan kids, even if I did copy their techniques, I'm ill equipped to do anything with them."

"So... that's a no?"

Sighing Sasuke nodded. "Yes Naruto, that was a no."

And, even though the blonde could be an absolute moron a good majority of the time, although just being around the boy forced Sasuke to not only acknowledge that he did in fact have faults. And although the constant exposure to the Uzumaki forced him to be... _social-able_. He really didn't find himself to eager to run back to the seclusion of his Academy days.

Now if only Sakura would wake up... then, he supposed, everything would be perfect.

-/-

"Welcome, ladies and gentleman. Lords and Ladies. Girls and boys, to the final round of the Second Chunnin Exams of the year." Genma Shiranui, Jonin of Konohagakure announced loudly, a needle rolling around in his mouth. "A month ago, 153 young Genin from as far a field as Kusagakure to some of the best Konoha itself had to offer, came together to showcase their prowess and test their mettle against the best of their rank."

The audience was in rapt attention as Genma weaved his words. With a smirk he plowed on. "Of those 153 Genin, only 18 still remain, and today those 18 stand before you, after a month of further training, not only to test themselves against each other. But to also;" And here he paused, taking a moment to bask in the drama, senbon needle removed from between his teeth and spinning in his palm. "To also showcase their talents to the world, to show to you all, just why they deserve to earn their promotion."

And the rapture broke as an uproarious cheer echoed around the stadium, some even taking to their feet in the wave of excitement of the moment. The applause caused several of the Genin to actually _preen_.

With a shake of his head, he launched his senbon towards an empty observation platform, the needle burying itself into the concrete. "Would Neji Hyuga and Kiba Inukuza please remain down here, the rest of you examinees..." He smirked again. "Follow the needle."

-/-

Tsume Inuzuka was excited.

Not just because her son was going to bury Neji, no that was a given. Or at least it should be, after the Hell month she had put him through. But, the Inukuza really were such a small clan in the grand scheme of things.  
>A seat on the advisory committee and the universal clan protection and autonomy (Within Reason) were nice and all, but as trackers, hell even as Shinobi overall, they had always been overlooked in favour of the big two clans, Hyuga and Uchiha.<p>

Byakugan and Sharingan.

It had been tragic, the day that Itachi Uchiha had decided to indulge in a bit of familial genocide, she wasn't going to deny that. But even so, the Uchiha had left a power vacuum within Konoha's political structure the day it crashed and burned, a vacuum that was still there even today.

One that Kiba could help secure for the Inukuza, or at least influence in their favour.

And all it would take was the public humiliation of the Hyuga clan's purported prodigy child, something that, she was more than confident, Kiba could pull off with only the flair that an Inuzuka could bring to the table.

The thought and pride that her son could possibly earn a promotion out of it, never even crossed her mind.

-/-

Kiba eyed Neji hungrily... this was it. Go time, the moment of truth, amonth of sweat, blood and effort put into motion. Et all et all.

"You should give up." Neji taunted, eyes not even looking at him.

Kiba growled. A dismissal so early, just like with Hinata. But at least with her, he had looked at her as her slandered her. "Say that again."

"Are you deaf as well as ignorant, you should just surrender. As an Inukuza it is your destiny to lose here." Ah, so that's what it was. It wasn't a dismissal of him personally, but a dismissal of his clan.

That was actually worse as far as he was concerned.

Slipping two soldier pills, Inukuza specials of course, from a pouch on his hip, he placed one between his teeth and flicked one down to his canine companion. "Don't swallow it yet Akamaru." he cautioned, only getting a bark back, something that sounded awfully like '_Well duh.'_

_"_Did you not hear me Inukuza?" Neji scoffed. "As members of Taijutsu focused clans, the Hyuga will always come out on top." The boy was sneering now, ruffled in a glow of self-importance. "It is your station in life to fail to us, so why struggle so?"

Kiba didn't answer. There was no need to answer, not yet. "Start it." He growled towards the proctor.

"Very well, but do not say I did not offer you the chance _dog_!" Neji's eyes burst into life, the lauded Byakugan staring him down, the supposed insult glancing off of him.

Kiba being offended at being called a dog, would be like Kiba being offended at being an Inukuza, hypocritical.

And as the procter's hand swung down, Neji launched towards him, definitely fast, but he disregarded the crunch as both Inuzuka's bit into their pills, and as the Hyuga boy struck, all his hands found was air.

But with a spin, he dodged as kiba spun above him, a twisting mass of limbs, Kunai in hand. Neji smirked, nothing could escape his eyes, and now he'd left himself wide open.

"Akamaru, now!" a cry echoed from out of his eye's range and a spray of yellow hit him right in the eyes as smoke popped up around the figure above him, revealing the blood red form of Akamaru.

Ignoring the stinging sensation, eyes watering, the clarity of his Byakugan was no less hampered. "That was it?" He mocked. "The best thing you could come up was for your dog to urinate in my eyes?" A scoff. "I don't even need them open to use my Byakugan, you miserable mutt. Pathetic."

Kiba smirked. He hadn't just been standing in the corner while Akamaru had made his move, in fact, he hadn't been in the corner at all, until he had cried out at his partner. "Man, so haughty and sure. And yet, it seems your eyesight ain't quite that bang up after all." With a single handseal, the ground around the Hyuga burst apart, several tags burning up in a flare.

To the spectators, the flash was merely slightly too bright.

But to a Hyuga running their Byakugan...

Neji (And a few Hyuga in the crowd) cried out in pain, blood flowing from his between his fingers as he clutched at bloody eyes. "I could have ended this here Hyuga, all I needed to do was be a little more ruthless and you'd be out of this. An exploding tag, an Earth Jutsu while I was still underneath you." Thank Kurenai for that little technique. "But I don't really care about ending this to quickly." With a growl, Akamaru henge'd into his Master again, Kiba kneeling down for the dog to climb onto his back.

"You humilliated Hinata, destroyed her utterly and completely, and when she offered you her sympathy, her guilt for your situation... Well, you better be damn happy she's alive is what I'm saying."

And with a roar, in the place of a boy and his dog, stood a white, two headed wolf, much bigger than either boy or canine had been.

And although Neji couldn't properly make out the wolf's shape behind his bloody eyesight, the sudden quaking of the earth around him was making him reconsider his initial estimation of the Inuzuka.

A low growl of; "**Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf." **Cemented the observation nice and firmly.

-/-

Hinata flinched at Kiba's words.

She knew that this was going to quite vicious, Kiba had made no secret about his feelings for her, ever since the Academy he had harboured a crush that was almost comparable to Ino and Sakura's feelings for Sasuke.

So as soon as she was coherent enough to talk to him, she had asked him, begged him even, not to hurt Neji to badly, to just wrap it up as quickly as he could.

_'No.'_

And he had stalked away to whatever training he had set up for the month, something so familiar, but so out of place in his eyes, burning itself into her mind.

But why, why should she feel bad for having asked him to show some mercy? "Kiba... Why are you disappointed in me?"

It was something she couldn't quite understand, and watching Kiba taunt and mock her cousin in the ring, watching him unveil his and Akamaru's transformation, she didn't even notice the first threads of comprehension burrow into her brain.

-/-

Neji dodged, again at the last second, while the two headed wolf that Kiba had become spun by him, air tearing and the ground cracking as he flew by.

"You know Hyuga, I've been doing a lot of thinking the last month." The mocking was quickly followed up by another pass. "About me, Hinata and about you."

The disoriented boy locked on to the sound of Kiba's voice, ducking an overhead pass, the dog boy's chakra singing itself onto his eyes again. "And you know what I figured out, it's actually quite the joke, made me laugh at any rate."

"I doubt that would be a challenge." Neji shot back. "A simpleton like you would propably laugh at the most inane of things."

The wolf growled out a laugh. "Well look at that, a joke. Someone's climbing the evolutionary chain, aye Akamaru?" A gutteral bark of agreement, it seemed that they were still seperate in this form. The information was not much, but it was something. "But you should listen to my joke anyway, cause you see it has to do with Clan politics, namely yours."

Neji sucked in a tight breath. "And what would someone like you know of Hyuga clan politics?"

The wolf roared, and charged at him. Damnit, he had been too distracted by the boy's ramblings.

It was a fatal one at that as well.

As Neji dodged, his footing slipped, falling to his back, there was nothing he could do as two blurs split off from the mass of chakra, no way to dodge or block, and certainly not enough footing to enact Kaiten. Closing his eyes and letting his Byakugan fade, he waited for the kunai to come slashing.

But it didn't. "Winner, Kiba Inuzuka!"

Wait, what?

-/-

Tsume smiled, a toothy, fanged smile as she watch Hiashi Hyuga's eyes narrow. It seemed that the venerable Leader of the White Eye Brigade had not expected his nephew to fail so misserably, and certainly not to an Inuzuka of all people.

Indeed, seconds passed and the man was already sweeping out of the arena, the taste of something foul marring his face.

Her eyes slipped over to the box where the Daiymo was seated, fingers stroking across his chin, a thoughtful look plastered to his face.

'_Yeap;'_ Tsume smiled, somehow even wider, at the victorious feeling. _'Today is a good day.'_

-/-

Letting his stinging eyes squint open, he couldn't quite beleive what he was seeing.

Kiba and Akamaru, still in his Henge'd form, stood crouched on either side of him, two kunai criss crossing his neck. "Like I said I've been doing a lot of thinking Neji, and it led me to a joke, do you think you know what it is?"

A shake of the head. "No."

Kiba shook his head, he removed the kunai, standing back up and the dog followed his lead."What do you call a Branch Family Hyuga, who fights against his station in life, but condems others for doing them same?" Kiba smirked as the Hyuga boy's eyes danced in realization.

And then, he beat Kiba to the punchline. Shocked and quiet, it was barely audible. But more than loud enough to make Kiba chuckle.

"Neji."

-/-

**Secondary characters, EVERYWHERE!  
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**Am I happy with this chapter? Well I'm not unhappy with it, maybe I'm not too excited due to the fact that I'm balls deep in secondary characters and not focusing on our leads.  
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**That and there are probably an ass ton of spelling and syntax errors.**

**Also yes, a distinct lack of Naruto and Zanpaku-to bonding time. At this point, I'm kind of pissed for time skipping, it was lazy and I apologize for that.**

**Anyway Read, Review, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.**

**Jordan out.  
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